Chapter 150: Commencement (1)

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“No.” Ah Jian hesitated for a moment and then shook his head.

“That’s good!” Lian Ze suddenly laughed, and wondered again: “Then why was she looking for Brother Ah Jian?”

Lian Fang Zhou couldn’t help but glance at Ah Jian when Lian Ze asked this.

After all, Lian Ze was still a half-grown boy. He didn’t understand somethings but Lian Fang Zhou was old enough to have a sense for these things.

Sure enough, Ah Jian coughed and hesitated, finally saying: “It’s nothing… By the way, she also asked me about the cotton seeds and asked why our family was planting so much of them.”

Nowadays, Ah Jian was very casual about saying things like ‘our family’ or ‘our house’.

“What did you tell her?” Lian Fang Zhou watched Ah Jian making awkward expressions and new that Xi Cue had said something else that couldn’t be repeated. That was Ah Jian’s personal business, though, and if he didn’t want to talk about it, she wasn’t going to gossip.

As long as it didn’t affect the lives of her family, Lian Fang Zhou could be generous and respect other people’s personal boundaries.

“I didn’t say anything,” Ah Jian’s tone returned to normal and he smiled: “I said it has nothing to do with her!”

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Lian Fang Zhou and Lian Ze couldn’t help laughing.

“However,” Ah Jian said again: “She also mentioned the Su family, asking if this was the Su family’s idea? Then she asked me if the Su family had said something or had some inside information but I didn’t respond to her. “

Lian Fang Zhou had long known that such a big movement would attract attention. The villagers had gossiped at first but quickly lost interest. But how could such a shrewd and powerful person like Zhao Ru Jun not want to ask questions?”

“So, she was just asking about that! Well, it has nothing to do with her family. If we keep it to ourselves, she won’t gain a thing!” Lian Fang Zhou said, ending the topic.

“I think so too!” Ah Jian agreed, smiling.

The conversation quickly turned to other things and the three of them laughed and talked as they traveled home, all of them feeling lively.

When Third Aunt saw that they had bought so many things again, she couldn’t help but cry out as she helped them carry it all inside. Lian Che and Lian Fang Qing were too small to help, so they watched from the side.

“Are you going to build at the entrance to the village now?” Third Aunt asked.

When Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian had been discussing her plans, they had never avoided anyone. Instead, they often pulled in Lian Ze to ask his opinion so Third Aunt had overheard quite a bit, though she wasn’t very interested.

“They’ll start work the day after tomorrow, we’ll need to cook them lunch.” Lian Fang Zhou nodded.

Third Aunt made a ‘oh’ sound and looked at the donkey cart, saying: “Next time, by more chives when you come back. The green onions in our garden aren’t growing fast enough!”

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Truthfully, Third Aunt was no longer opposed to Lian Fang Zhou giving the workers meat and bone soup. It was good to eat such nice things every day and more importantly, she had enough money to do so!

Lian Fang Zhou agreed and said with a smile: “I really forgot about this! Next time I will buy extra and leave our onions alone, so you can plant more in the corners of the garden!”

Scallions were small green onions with a very strong fragrance. They were excellent seasonings for pancakes and cooking. Adding some in the food would not only improve the color but also make the food more delicious.

By the afternoon of the next day, the work at San Chakou was finished. Lian Fang Zhou took the younger brothers and sister to take a look and was very satisfied.

The fruit tree pits on Xiao Hua Guo Mountain were dug according to her requirements. There were 4,360 pits in total, which meant that 4,360 fruit trees could be planted.

The top of the mountain now had a flat area where the house would be built.

Lian Fang Zhou intended to sketch the beautiful villas she had seen in her previous life and build them according to her drawings. She also wanted to built a tall observation tower the size of an ordinary pavilion so that you could see everything around the mountain.

Lian Fang Qing and Lian Che looked at the fruit tree pit and jumped around like monkeys. They wanted to go to the mountains to dig fruit trees immediately.

Lian Fang Zhou smiled and said: “Don’t worry, after three or five days, I won’t need to oversee the construction site at the entrance of the village and we can go!”

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Although Lian Fang Qing and Lian Che were impatient, they knew what was more important, so they both agreed.

Laying foundations was a very important and serious matter. Firecrackers must be set off and tributes and incense must be put on the gods. Gu Shi mentioned these things to Lian Fang Zhou, and Lian Fang Zhou asked him to be the host.

On the morning of the foundation laying, the Lian family, including Third Aunt, walked down. Lian Fang Zhou also invited Zhang Li Zheng, his wife, Aunt Zhang’s family, and several other families in the village with whom she had a good relationship.

There were also many people who came uninvited to watch the excitement.

Needless to say, children were very eager about things like this as it was rare to have an exciting event happen during the year. After setting off the firecrackers for the gods, there would be many sweets and melon seeds distributed, which was very appealing.

When Lian Fang Zhou arrived, she saw a rectangular offering table on the flat ground in the middle, with square plates of meat, a whole chicken, whole fish, two neatly stacked plates of pastries, and a large pot of wine. There was also three wine glasses, three pairs of chopsticks, one candlestick on the left and one on the right, and a three-legged copper incense burner in the middle.

Gu Shi was talking to a Taoist priest in a blue robes printed with delicate designs, a square cap, and a whisk in his hand. The workers were scattered around.

Seeing Lian Fang Zhou coming, Gu Shi smiled and cupped his fists to greet her and shouted “Miss Lian!”

Lian Fang Zhou introduced Zhang Li Zheng and others one by one, and Gu Shi also introduced the Taoist priest to her and everyone, saying that it was the Taoist Bai of Hong Yeguan.

Zhang Li Zheng, who seemed to have heard of or knew this Taoist leader, smiled and spoke a few more words with him.

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“I’m not too sure on how to proceed, so I’ll leave it to Uncle Li Zheng and Uncle Gu! What should I order? Just give me a few instructions!” Lian Fang Zhou smiled.

Zhang Li Zheng and Gu Shi smiled politely. Seeing that the time was almost ready, the two discussed briefly before the ceremony began.

Bai Dao Chang put the incense in, lit the candle, stood at the sacrifice table. He flicked the dust in his hand and held a copper bell high in his hand at the height of his ear, shaking it in a circle, singing with his mouth. The crowd was silent as everyone stood on both sides, listening.

Lian Fang Zhou listened carefully. She had only read about this in books, so she was very interested.
As the ringing became more rapid and high pitched, Bai Dao Chang led Gu Shi, the Lian siblings, and a group of workers to line up behind him. Each of them bowed to the incense case three times and said auspicious words.

Like this, the ceremony was complete.

The atmosphere suddenly became more casual, and everyone began to talk and laugh again.

After that, Gu Shi asked the two workers to take out two long firecrackers, and the crowd quickly cheered and moved aside.

The crackling firecrackers were deafening, and the red firecrackers in the amiable smoke splashed all over, which was very festive.

After the firecrackers passed, the ground was red and the air was filled with a strong smell of smoke.

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